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From microplastics to nanoplastics: environmental transformation pathways, detection challenges, and health implications
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This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics break down into smaller nanoplastics through sunlight, wear, and microbial activity in water, soil, and waste systems. It also discusses challenges in detecting nanoplastics, their interactions with pollutants and microbes, and gaps in knowledge about health and environmental risks.
The extensive buildup of plastic waste has become a significant environmental issue, especially due to the conversion of microplastics (MPs) into nanoplastics (NPs). In this review, we address the critical processes that lead to the fragmentation of MPs into NPs, including physical, chemical, and biological degradation mechanisms such as UV radiation, mechanical wear, and microbial activities in wastewater treatment systems, soils, and aquatic habitats. We place a strong focus on the analytical and methodological challenges encountered in detecting and characterizing NPs, highlighting the limitations of existing instrumentation, the absence of standardized protocols, and discrepancies in reporting metrics. Additionally, we explore the environmental behavior of NPs within the plastisphere and their interactions with co-contaminants, including heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and pathogenic microorganisms. Current understanding of the ecological and human health risks related to inhalation and ingestion exposure pathways is also summarized, with a focus on the uncertainties and gaps in toxicological data. Lastly, we emphasize key research gaps and future directions to facilitate the development of standardized assessment strategies and enhance the comprehension of nanoplastic risks.
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The environmental journey of micro- and nanoplastics: fate, transport, and toxicity
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This review traces the journey of micro- and nanoplastics through the environment, from their sources in textiles and personal care products to their transport through water and soil systems. The authors highlight major gaps in knowledge, including the lack of standardized detection methods for the smallest particles and insufficient long-term data on human health effects. The review calls for better risk assessment to protect food safety and human health from microplastic contamination.
Harnessing microorganisms for multiscale biodegradation of microplastics and nanoplastics in terrestrial and aquatic environments
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Tiny plastic particles called microplastics and nanoplastics have spread throughout our soil and water, and scientists once thought they'd stick around forever—but this review of existing research shows certain microbes and environmental conditions (like sunlight, heat, and moisture) can actually break some of them down. This matters because it hints at future cleanup methods using bacteria, fungi, or even plants working with microbes to reduce plastic pollution before it builds up further in our food and water supplies. That said, scientists still don't fully understand how this breakdown happens or whether it's safe and scalable enough to rely on, so more research is needed before this
Micro- and Nanoplastic Processes: Degradation, Fragmentation, Aggregation and the Need for Environmentally Relevant Reference Materials
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This research review explains how tiny plastic particles break down and change when exposed to sunlight, water, and bacteria in the environment. These weathered plastic pieces behave very differently from fresh plastics—they can clump together and move through soil and water in new ways, potentially affecting where they end up in our food and water systems. Understanding how plastics age and change is crucial for predicting their long-term impacts on human health and the environment.
Microplastics in the ecosystem and methods to identify them
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This review examines microplastic and nanoplastic formation, environmental fate, and detection methods, synthesizing evidence on how physical, chemical, and biological degradation of bulk plastics generates particles that permeate soils, water, and the atmosphere. The authors evaluate wastewater treatment efficacy, biomagnification in food chains, and analytical approaches for monitoring MP and NP presence across environmental compartments.
Nanoscale plastic pollution: sources, identification and potential mitigation
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This review examines the sources, environmental fate, and potential mitigation strategies for nanoscale plastic pollution, tracing the accumulation of plastic particles from millimetre to nanometre scales over decades. It highlights key knowledge gaps and emerging approaches for reducing nanoplastic contamination in ecosystems.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.